Top Food News Of The Week: McDonald's New Big Mac, Batali's Comeback

This week saw a lot of grim developments for ghost kitchens, candy canes, and our nation's chocolate supply. Here were the biggest food news stories of December 4-8, 2023.

The candy landscape might look a little different as we head into 2024. Agricultural setbacks have made chocolate production extremely difficult, which has caused prices to increase to a point where candy makers may need to move away from the crop if they want to keep profits strong. – Angela L. Pagán Read More

I didn't grow up eating tofu, but I did grow up with plenty of beliefs about it. I was indoctrinated to see tofu as nothing more than a sorry meat replacement: a bland, watery brick of soybean solids embraced exclusively by California vegans and health nuts. That's how I knew tofu, and I'm pissed about it. – Danny Palumbo Read More

When new snacks come along, they have the power to change hearts and minds. But the foods we hate? Those remain rather consistent, cemented forever in our minds as repulsive and reviled. That could explain why the top 10 worst Christmas candies of 2023 are all such classic staples of the season. – Marnie Shure Read More

If you've ever lamented the fact that your Big Mac was dry, or the cheese wasn't melted, or the lettuce was beyond wilted, well, McDonald's has been keeping track of these issues, too. It's time for the Big Mac to get a makeover. – Dennis Lee Read More

Mario Batali returned to the small screen this weekend—the laptop screen—in the form of an online cooking class series called Molto a Casa. But the celebrity chef, who has faced numerous legal issues throughout the past five years, has made it clear there's one place he won't be returning to. – Micheline Maynard Read More

There's no question that fast food, once a quick and affordable fix for one's hunger, has now reached prices where consumers are starting to question its worth. A TikTok video from December 2022 has recently recirculated on the platform in which a customer shows the receipt for a McDonald's meal that cost $16.10, sparking debate about whether these prices are justified. – Dennis Lee Read More

For a while, it seemed like ghost kitchens were popping up everywhere. You'd flick open DoorDash on your phone to browse around for dinner options, only to notice unfamiliar restaurants all listed in your neighborhood. Of course, they weren't brick-and-mortar spots. They all operated out of the same mysterious space, or sometimes even an existing restaurant. After a few years of ghost kitchen supremacy, however, it looks like their heyday might finally be coming to a close. – Dennis Lee Read More

Last month, the FDA announced a recall on multiple brands of applesauce pouches sold at multiple grocery chains. The products were recalled due to their elevated lead levels, which adversely affected more than 50 children. As it turns out, the lead contamination had nothing to do with the apples, but rather the cinnamon that flavored them. – Dennis Lee Read More